Suspected Child Sex Tourists Held
1:54pm UK, Thursday December 11, 2008
Two British men have been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of sexually abusing children.
The men arrested appear in court over the child sex abuse charges
Malcom Payne, 59, and another man aged 45, were arrested in Thailand's Pattaya tourist resort and are being questioned by police.
A German man, 67, and an American man 62, are also being held.
The arrests follow a joint operation between the British child exploitation agency CEOP and Royal Thai police.
It began earlier this year when an online network of sex abusers was detected by covert investigators in London.
A spokeswoman for CEOP said the arrests were significant as they show a link between online communities of abusers and those who travel to foreign countries to abuse children.
CEOP's Deputy Head of Operations, Andy Wells, said: "Working with the Royal Thai Police we have located and identified a number of individuals who are suspected of serious alleged offences against vulnerable children.
Non Government Organisations have been instrumental in helping to build an intelligence picture of the threat that travelling sex offenders pose to children from in the region.
- CEOP's Deputy Head of Operations, Andy Wells
"Along with the Social Welfare Division in Pattaya, they have also provided support to the victims of child sex abuse who have been safeguarded as a result of this operation."
CEOP's Chief Executive Officer Jim Gamble added the operation and arrests demonstrate the value of the relationship between CEOP and the Royal Thai Police.
He said: "UK and Thailand may have different legal systems and law enforcement practises, but we share a clear, joint commitment: to prevent harm to children."
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